A recent US report indicates that Russia is on the verge of invading Ukraine with the potential of overthrowing the capital in a matter of days; In addition to the likelihood of thousands of civilian deaths taking place, the invasion could spark a refugee crisis in the region.

While there is room for the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the rising tension between Russia and Ukraine, a recent US report suggests that the Russian military is only continuing to signal an imminent invasion of its neighbor to the west. US officials have targeted mid-February to March as the timeframe for when the invasion is likely to occur – the same timeframe that one of Russia’s annual fall military drills was postponed to.

Should the invasion occur, US officials warned that Russian forces would likely overthrow the capital city, Kyiv, in the first 48 hours. Estimations suggest that up to 50,000 civilians would probably die in the conflict, along with thousands of soldiers – primarily Ukrainian. Furthermore, the conflict is apt to trigger a refugee crisis in the region.

Over the last few months, as Russia has increased the volume of its military personnel at the Ukrainian border, Russian officials have insisted that they have no intention of invading Ukraine unless attacked first. However, Moscow’s joint-military drills with Belarus and shifting of scheduled military exercises is leading some to speculate that Russia may stage a military provocation as a means for the invasion.

Matthew 24:4-6
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Listing deception as the primary signal of when the last days would come to their fulfillment, Jesus immediately revealed that “wars and rumors of wars” would be another massive indicator. Since the death of Christ nearly 2,000 years ago, countless wars and military conflicts between multiple countries have taken place. So, what makes the possible Ukrainian-Russian conflict unique? The existence of a Jewish State.

You are probably thinking, “If 1+1=2, how on earth does Russia + Ukraine = Israel?” Thousands of years ago, the prophet Ezekiel foretold a future invasion of the nation of Israel after its national restoration following the Holocaust (Ezekiel 36-38). Who does Ezekiel describe as the leader of this invasion? Russia. What is the purpose of this invasion? Greed for Israel’s economic and natural resources.

Hypothetically speaking, if Russia were to overthrow Ukraine, it would only be the first of multiple dominoes in the region to fall. Should several countries in the region fall to Russia in the coming years, the stage would be further set for this prophesied invasion of Israel. Also, consider that Russia already maintains international partnerships with Iran and Turkey – two significant players in Ezekiel’s prophecy (mentioned by their ancient names).

While wars and rumors of wars indicate that we’re approaching the conclusion of the last days, an even stronger indicator is the world around us that is characterized by deception. Beyond both of these is the rebirth of the Jewish State, which is the country that all of Bible prophecy is centered around.